Water discharge member

Abstract

To provide a water discharge member capable of appropriately discharging a cascade-like water flow from a water discharge port.SOLUTION: A water discharge member 3 for discharging hot water from an oblong water discharge port 3A includes an oblong supply port 3B for receiving the supply of the hot water, an oblong water discharge port 3A for discharging the supplied hot water, a pipeline 3C connecting the supply port 3B and the water discharge port 3A so as to correctly face each other in a pipe axis direction in the pipe shape of an oblong transverse section corresponding to the port width of each of them, and a plurality of partition walls 3D arranged side by side in the pipe width direction to partition the pipe inside of the pipeline 3C in the pipe width direction, the plurality of partition walls 3D being plate-shaped to form partition faces where the lateral faces in the pipe width direction extend in parallel to one another in the pipe axis direction.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 4

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a water discharger, and more particularly to a water discharger that discharges hot and cold water from a horizontally elongated water discharge port. [Background technology]

[0002] Patent Document 1 discloses a water faucet device in which the water outlet for discharging hot and cold water is formed in a wide, flat shape. By making the water outlet wide and flat, hot and cold water is discharged as a wide, flat waterfall-like water flow. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] JP 2010-209549 A Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] When the water discharge member that directs hot and cold water to the spout is made of a wide, flat, tubular member that corresponds to the shape of the spout, the speed of the flowing water is likely to vary. Specifically, the water flowing along the side walls of the water discharge member at both edges is likely to slow down due to pipe friction resistance. On the other hand, the water flowing through the center of the water discharge member is less likely to encounter such resistance and is likely to increase in speed. As a result, the waterfall-like water flow discharged from the spout is likely to collapse and distort toward the center. Therefore, the present invention provides a water discharge member that can properly discharge a waterfall-like water flow from the spout. [Means for solving the problem]

[0005] In order to solve the above problems, the water discharger of the present invention takes the following measures.

[0006] In other words, the first invention of the present invention is a water-discharging member that discharges hot water from a horizontally long water outlet, comprising: a horizontally long supply outlet that receives a supply of hot water, the horizontally long water outlet that discharges the supplied hot water, a pipeline that connects the supply outlet and the water outlet with a horizontally long tubular cross-section that corresponds to the mouth width of each of them so as to face each other directly in the pipe axis direction, and a plurality of partition walls that are lined up in the pipe width direction so as to divide the inside of the pipeline in the pipe width direction, and the plurality of partition walls are plate-shaped so that the sides facing each other in the pipe width direction form partition surfaces that extend parallel to each other in the pipe axis direction.

[0007] According to the first aspect of the present invention, the water flowing through the center of the pipe can be made to flow along the partition surfaces of the partition walls. This allows the flow speed in the center to be reduced by frictional resistance caused by contact with each partition surface, and to approach the flow speed at both edges of the pipe that flows along the side walls. As a result, a wide, flat waterfall-like water flow with little variation in flow speed can be appropriately discharged from the horizontally long water outlet.

[0008] The second invention of the present invention is a water-discharging member in which, in the first invention above, there are no obstacles between the multiple partition walls and the supply port within the pipeline, which disperse the supplied hot and cold water in the pipe width direction by collision.

[0009] According to the second invention, since there are no obstacles upstream of each partition wall, the water flow, which has a high flow rate in the center, can be appropriately rectified by each partition wall to reduce variation in flow rate.

[0010] A third invention of the present invention is a water-discharge member according to the first or second invention, wherein the partition walls are formed at a position upstream of the pipe and closer to the supply port than the water discharge port.

[0011] According to the third aspect of the present invention, the water flows branched off at each partition wall can be appropriately merged on the way to the water outlet before being discharged. As a result, it is possible to prevent branch lines that spoil the appearance of the waterfall-like water flow discharged from the water outlet from appearing.

[0012] A fourth invention of the present invention is the water discharge member according to the first or second invention, wherein the plurality of partition walls divide the inside of the pipe of the pipe over the entire area in the pipe height direction.

[0013] According to the fourth aspect of the present invention, regardless of the amount of water supplied, the water flowing through the center portion can be made to flow appropriately along the partition faces of the multiple partition walls, thereby making it possible to appropriately reduce the flow velocity in the center portion.

[0014] The fifth invention of the present invention is a water-discharging member according to the first or second invention, wherein the distance in the pipe width direction between the outermost partition wall among the multiple partition walls that faces the side wall of the pipeline and the side wall is wider than any other distance between the multiple partition walls.

[0015] According to the fifth aspect of the present invention, the flow velocity at the center portion can be effectively reduced without excessively reducing the flow velocity at both edges along the side wall of the pipe.

[0016] A sixth aspect of the present invention is the water discharge member according to the first or second aspect, wherein the partition walls are arranged at equal intervals from one another.

[0017] According to the sixth aspect of the present invention, the plurality of partition walls can be provided in a simple shape that does not complicate the inside of the pipeline.

[0018] A seventh aspect of the present invention is the water discharger member according to the first or second aspect, wherein the partition walls have the same shape as one another.

[0019] According to the seventh aspect of the present invention, the partition walls can be formed relatively easily.

[0020] An eighth aspect of the present invention is the water discharge member according to the first or second aspect, wherein the partition walls are integrally formed with the pipeline.

[0021] According to the eighth aspect of the present invention, the partition walls can be easily and firmly joined to the pipeline without requiring a separate reinforcing structure, thereby appropriately achieving both a sufficient discharge volume and prevention of the collapse of the waterfall-like water flow. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0022] [Figure 1] FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing the schematic configuration of a water discharge member according to the first embodiment. [Diagram 2] FIG. 2 is an enlarged view taken along the arrow II in FIG. [Diagram 3] FIG. 3 is an enlarged view taken along the arrow III in FIG. 2. [Figure 4] FIG. [Diagram 5] 13 is a perspective view of the water discharge member seen from the rear side. FIG. [Figure 6] 2 is a partially cross-sectional perspective view of the water-discharge member taken along a plane passing through the central axis. FIG. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0023] Hereinafter, an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.

[0024] First Embodiment (Schematic configuration of water discharge member 3) First, the configuration of water discharger member 3 according to the first embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to Figures 1 to 6. In the following description, when directions such as front, back, top, bottom, left, and right are indicated, they refer to the respective directions shown in each figure.

[0025] The directions shown in each figure are those seen by a user standing in front of a water faucet device 1 to which the water discharge member 3 according to this embodiment is applied. In the following description, when no specific reference figure is given or when no reference figure has a corresponding reference symbol, any of Figures 1 to 6 will be referred to as appropriate.

[0026] As shown in Fig. 1, the water-discharge member 3 according to this embodiment is incorporated into the tip of a water-discharge pipe 2 constituting a washbasin faucet device 1. The water-discharge pipe 2 is installed so as to extend in a gooseneck shape from the top of the top plate of a washbasin vanity unit (not shown) toward the front side of the figure.

[0027] The faucet device 1 is configured so that the water discharge state can be switched by operating a switching handle or a temperature adjustment handle (not shown) that are installed on the top of the tabletop alongside the water discharge pipe 2. Specifically, the faucet device 1 switches between hot and cold water discharge / stop by operating the switching handle. Also, the faucet device 1 adjusts the temperature of the hot and cold water discharged (mixture ratio of hot and cold water) by operating the temperature adjustment handle.

[0028] The discharge pipe 2 has a tubular shape that extends in a gooseneck shape with a horizontally long cross section. As a result, although the discharge pipe 2 has a gooseneck shape, when viewed in a plan view, the pipe axis direction, which is the direction in which a line passing through the center of the pipe extends, is configured to extend straight in the front-rear direction.

[0029] 2, a water discharge member 3 having a horizontally elongated water discharge port 3A that opens diagonally downward toward the front of the figure is incorporated into the tip of the water discharge pipe 2. The water discharge port 3A is provided so that its opening faces straight in the pipe axial direction from the tip of the water discharge pipe 2 that extends in a gooseneck shape.

[0030] The water outlet 3A is formed in a wide mouth shape that extends flatly to the left and right (see Fig. 3). This allows the water outlet member 3 to discharge hot and cold water supplied from the upstream side through the inside of the water outlet pipe 2 as a wide, flat, waterfall-like water flow (flat water discharge).

[0031] When the flow speed of the waterfall-like water flow discharged from the water discharge port 3A becomes faster at the center than at the left and right edges, the waterfall-like water flow is likely to distort toward the center where the flow speed is higher. However, the water discharge member 3 according to this embodiment is configured to suppress the occurrence of such distortion and enable the waterfall-like water flow to be properly discharged from the water discharge port 3A.

[0032] (Configuration of each part of the water discharge member 3) The specific configuration of each part of the water spouting member 3 will be described in detail below. As shown in Figures 4 and 5, the water spouting member 3 is formed in a tubular shape with a horizontally long cross section that extends straight in the axial direction of the pipe. Specifically, the water spouting member 3 has a horizontally long supply port 3B that receives a supply of hot and cold water from the upstream side, and a horizontally long water discharge port 3A that discharges the supplied hot and cold water as a waterfall-like water flow.

[0033] The water discharge member 3 also has a conduit 3C that connects the supply port 3B and the water discharge port 3A. The conduit 3C is configured to connect the supply port 3B and the water discharge port 3A in a tubular shape with a horizontally long cross section corresponding to the mouth width of each of them so that they face each other in the pipe axis direction.

[0034] 5 and 6, the water discharger member 3 has multiple partition walls 3D that divide the inside of the pipe 3C in the pipe width direction (left and right direction). These partition walls 3D function as straightening plates that reduce the flow speed of the water flowing through the center of the water flowing inside the pipe 3C by frictional resistance force caused by contact.

[0035] As shown in Fig. 4, the water discharge member 3 is inserted into the opening at the tip of the water discharge pipe 2 in the pipe axial direction and fixed with a fixing screw S (see Fig. 2). As a result, the water discharge member 3 is set in a state in which its upstream supply port 3B is connected to a water passage (not shown) that passes through the water discharge pipe 2. In detail, the water discharge member 3 is set in a state in which an O-ring (annular packing) (not shown) is attached to a groove 3G formed on its outer periphery, and it is sealed inside the water discharge pipe 2 via the O-ring.

[0036] In addition, a straightening net (not shown) is set so as to cover the entire area of ​​the supply port 3B on the upstream side of the water discharge member 3. The straightening net (not shown) functions as a filter to remove impurities contained in the hot water supplied from the upstream side and to suppress water dripping downstream due to the action of surface tension when the water is stopped.

[0037] As shown in Figures 4 and 5, the pipe 3C is formed in a symmetrical shape having a top plate C1 forming the upper surface, a bottom plate C2 forming the bottom surface, and side walls C3 forming both side surfaces in the pipe width direction. The top plate C1 and the bottom plate C2 are formed in a flat shape extending parallel to each other in the pipe width direction. The left and right side walls C3 are formed in a curved plate shape curving in a semicircular arc outwardly in the pipe width direction so as to be symmetrical with each other.

[0038] The pipe 3C is made of an injection-molded resin part. The pipe 3C is configured to connect the supply port 3B and the water discharge port 3A with a generally cylindrical pipe shape having the above-mentioned horizontally long cross section. However, more strictly speaking, the pipe 3C is formed in a tapered pipe shape so that the mouth width of the water discharge port 3A is slightly wider than that of the supply port 3B due to a draft angle that is set to make it easier to remove the molded product from the mold. The "draft angle" refers to the tapered shape that is set in the direction in which the molded product is removed.

[0039] The supply port 3B and the water outlet 3A are each formed in a horizontally long mouth shape corresponding to the pipe shape of the pipe 3C. Specifically, the upper and lower edges of the supply port 3B and the water outlet 3A are each formed in a shape that extends parallel to each other in the pipe width direction along the inner circumferential surfaces of the top plate C1 and the bottom plate C2. In addition, the left and right edges of the supply port 3B and the water outlet 3A are each formed in a shape that curves like a semicircle arc symmetrically toward the outside in the pipe width direction along the inner circumferential surfaces of each side wall C3.

[0040] As shown in Figures 5 and 6, seven partition walls 3D are provided in total, arranged at equal intervals in the pipe width direction. Each partition wall 3D is integrally formed with the above-mentioned pipe 3C. As a result, each partition wall 3D is formed in a state in which its upper and lower ends are firmly joined to the top plate C1 and bottom plate C2 of the pipe 3C, respectively.

[0041] Each partition wall 3D has a plate shape with its side surfaces facing the tube width direction forming partition surfaces D1 that extend parallel to the tube axis direction. Each partition surface D1 is a flat surface that faces straight in the tube width direction.

[0042] Each partition wall 3D has the same shape. As described above, each partition wall 3D is arranged at equal intervals in the pipe width direction. Each partition wall 3D is shaped to extend with a constant thickness in the pipe height direction and the pipe axial direction. With this configuration, each partition wall 3D can be provided in a simple shape that does not complicate the inside of the pipe 3C. As a result, each partition wall 3D can be formed relatively easily.

[0043] The thickness of each partition wall 3D is thinner than half the interval between adjacent partition surfaces D1 of the partition walls 3D. Each partition wall 3D has a vertical plate shape in which the length extending in the pipe axial direction is at least twice as long as its thickness (see FIG. 6).

[0044] The intervals in the pipe width direction between each of the partition walls 3D arranged on both sides of the pipe and each of the side walls C3 are wider than the intervals between the partition walls 3D arranged side by side, so that each of the partition walls 3D divides the inside of the pipe 3C in such a way that the central area is smaller in the pipe width direction than the areas on both edges facing the side walls C3.

[0045] Each partition wall 3D is formed to separate the inside of the pipe 3C over the entire pipe height direction, so that each partition wall 3D can appropriately branch the water flowing through the center of the pipe 3C regardless of the amount of hot or cold water being supplied.

[0046] In addition, each partition wall 3D is formed at a position upstream closer to the supply port 3B than the water outlet 3A of the pipe 3C. This allows the water flows branched off at each partition wall 3D to be properly merged before reaching the water outlet 3A and then discharged. As a result, it is possible to prevent branch lines that spoil the appearance of the waterfall-like water flow discharged from the water outlet 3A from appearing.

[0047] As shown in Fig. 6, by providing the above-mentioned partition walls 3D inside the pipe 3C, the water flowing through the center of the pipe 3C is branched in the pipe width direction by the partition walls 3D and flows along each partition surface D1. Each partition surface D1 has a surface shape extending in the pipe axial direction. Therefore, the flow speed of the water flowing downstream along each partition surface D1 can be effectively reduced by the frictional resistance caused by contact with each partition surface D1.

[0048] As a result, the flow speed of the water flowing through the center of the pipe 3C can be appropriately brought close to the flow speed of both edges flowing along each side wall C3. In detail, the interval between each of the partition walls 3D arranged on both sides of each of the partition walls 3D and each of the side walls C3 is wider than the interval between the partition walls 3D, so that the flow speed of the center can be effectively reduced without excessively reducing the flow speed of both edges flowing along each side wall C3.

[0049] In addition, by making the thickness of each partition wall 3D thinner than half the spacing between the partition walls 3D, it is possible to appropriately reduce the flow rate in the center while ensuring an appropriate amount of hot and cold water discharged through the gaps between them. Due to the above-mentioned action, a wide, flat waterfall-like water flow with little variation in flow rate can be appropriately discharged from the horizontally elongated water discharge port 3A of the water discharge member 3.

[0050] The inner peripheral surface of the pipe 3C is made smooth and free of irregularities in the area downstream of each partition wall 3D. In addition, the water discharge member 3 is configured so that there are no obstacles in the area between each partition wall 3D of the pipe 3C and the supply port 3B that would disperse the supplied hot and cold water in the pipe width direction by collision.

[0051] For this reason, the water discharge member 3 is configured so that hot and cold water flows straight in the pipe axis direction from the supply port 3B of the pipe 3C to the water discharge port 3A without being dispersed in the pipe width direction. In other words, the water discharge member 3 is configured so that hot and cold water flows with a high flow rate in the center because there are no obstacles upstream of each partition wall 3D. The water discharge member 3 can then properly straighten the hot and cold water flowing in this way by using each partition wall 3D to prevent large variations in flow rate between the center and both edges.

[0052] The straightening net (not shown) placed over the supply port 3B of the aforementioned pipe 3C acts as a filter to remove impurities contained in the hot water supplied from the upstream side, and does not disperse the supplied hot water in the pipe width direction by collision. In other words, the hot water supplied to the supply port 3B from the discharge pipe 2 (see FIG. 2) has already been spread so as to spread over the entire area of ​​the supply port 3B in the pipe width direction according to the horizontally long pipe shape inside the discharge pipe 2, and is not spread by the straightening net.

[0053] To summarise the above, the water discharger member 3 according to the first embodiment has the following configuration: Note that in the following, the reference characters in parentheses correspond to the respective components shown in the above embodiment.

[0054] That is, the water spouting member (3) is a member that spouts hot water from a horizontally elongated water spouting port (3A). The water spouting member (3) has a horizontally elongated supply port (3B) that receives a supply of hot water, and the horizontally elongated water spouting port (3A) that spouts the supplied hot water.

[0055] The water discharge member (3) has a pipe line (3C) that connects the supply port (3B) and the water discharge port (3A) in a tubular shape with a horizontally long cross section corresponding to the mouth width of each of them so as to face each other in the pipe axis direction, and a plurality of partition walls (3D) arranged in the pipe width direction so as to divide the inside of the pipe line (3C) in the pipe width direction. The plurality of partition walls (3D) are plate-shaped with the side surfaces facing each pipe width direction forming partition surfaces (D1) that extend parallel to each other in the pipe axis direction.

[0056] According to the above configuration, the water flowing through the center of the pipe (3C) can be made to flow along the partition surfaces (D1) of the partition walls (3D). This allows the flow speed in the center to be reduced by frictional resistance caused by contact with each partition surface (D1) and to approach the flow speed at both edges of the pipe (3C) flowing along the side walls (C3). As a result, a wide, flat waterfall-like water flow with little variation in flow speed can be appropriately discharged from the horizontally elongated water outlet (3A).

[0057] In addition, the water discharge member (3) is configured so that there are no obstacles between the multiple partition walls (3D) and the supply port (3B) inside the pipe (3C) that would cause the supplied hot and cold water to collide and disperse in the pipe width direction. With this configuration, the absence of obstacles upstream of each partition wall (3D) allows the water flow, which flows with a high flow rate in the center, to be properly rectified by each partition wall (3D) to have little variation in flow rate.

[0058] In addition, the partition walls (3D) are formed at a position upstream of the water outlet (3A) of the pipe (3C) and closer to the supply port (3B). With the above configuration, the water flows branched off at the partition walls (3D) can be appropriately merged on the way to the water outlet (3A) and then discharged. As a result, it is possible to prevent branch lines that spoil the appearance of the waterfall-like water flow discharged from the water outlet (3A) from appearing.

[0059] In addition, the multiple partition walls (3D) are configured to partition the inside of the pipe (3C) over the entire area in the pipe height direction. With this configuration, regardless of the amount of water supplied, the water flowing through the center can be appropriately directed along the partition faces (D1) of the multiple partition walls (3D). This makes it possible to appropriately reduce the flow velocity in the center.

[0060] In addition, the distance in the pipe width direction between the outermost partition wall (3D) facing the side wall (C3) of the pipe (3C) among the plurality of partition walls (3D) is wider than any other distance between the plurality of partition walls (3D) arranged side by side. With the above configuration, the flow velocity at the center can be effectively reduced without excessively reducing the flow velocity at both edges flowing along the side wall (C3) of the pipe (3C).

[0061] Moreover, the multiple partition walls (3D) are arranged at equal intervals from one another. According to the above configuration, the multiple partition walls (3D) can be provided in a simple shape that does not complicate the inside of the pipeline (3C). Furthermore, the multiple partition walls (3D) are made of the same shape. According to the above configuration, the multiple partition walls (3D) can be formed relatively easily.

[0062] In addition, the partition walls (3D) are integrally formed with the pipeline (3C). With the above-mentioned configuration, the partition walls (3D) can be easily and firmly joined to the pipeline (3C) without the need for a separate reinforcing structure. As a result, it is possible to appropriately achieve both a sufficient discharge amount and prevention of the collapse of the waterfall-like water flow.

[0063] Other embodiments Although one embodiment of the present invention has been described above, the present invention can be embodied in various forms as described below in addition to the above embodiment.

[0064] 1. The water discharge member of the present invention may be incorporated into the water discharge pipe of a faucet device used for purposes other than washing, such as in a kitchen or bathroom.

[0065] 2. The water discharge member may be one that widens the pipe width direction from the supply port on the upstream side to the water discharge port on the downstream side. Also, the water discharge member may be one that has a pipe shape in which the pipe axis direction of the pipe extends linearly when viewed in a plan view, but curves downward when viewed from the side.

[0066] 3. The number of partition walls provided in the pipe of the pipeline is not limited to seven, and may be any number of partition walls greater than or equal to two. Each partition wall may be formed in a downstream position closer to the discharge port than the supply port in the pipe of the pipeline, or in a position exactly in the middle. Also, each partition wall may be positioned offset from each other in the pipe axis direction.

[0067] Each partition wall may divide the inside of the pipe over the entire pipe height direction, or may protrude from the bottom plate to a height not reaching the top plate to divide the inside of the pipe. Even with such a configuration, the effect of suppressing the flow rate of the water flowing through the center of the pipe to some extent can be achieved.

[0068] The partition walls may be arranged at equal intervals in the pipe width direction or may be arranged so that some of the intervals are different from the others. The partition walls may be of the same shape or may be of a different shape from the others.

[0069] Each partition wall may be integrally formed with the pipeline, or may be fixed to the pipeline by bonding or fastening. Also, each partition wall may be fixed to the pipeline by press-fitting or snap-fitting. In this case, each partition wall may be assembled to the pipeline in a state where the whole is unitized, or may be assembled to the pipeline individually.

[0070] The embodiments disclosed herein should be considered to be illustrative and not restrictive in all respects. The scope of the present invention is defined by the claims, not by the description of the embodiments described above, and is intended to include all modifications within the meaning and scope of the claims. [Explanation of symbols]

[0071] Reference Signs List 1...water faucet device, 2...water discharge pipe, 3...water discharge member, 3A...water discharge port, 3B...supply port, 3C...pipe, C1...top plate, C2...bottom plate, C3...side wall, 3D...partition wall, D1...partition surface, 3G...groove, S...fixing screw

Claims

1. A water discharge member that discharges hot and cold water from a horizontally elongated water outlet, A horizontally long supply port for receiving hot and cold water; The horizontally elongated water outlet for discharging the supplied hot and cold water; A pipe that connects the supply port and the water discharge port in a pipe axial direction and has a horizontally long cross section corresponding to the width of each port, a plurality of partition walls arranged in a pipe width direction so as to divide the inside of the pipe in the pipe width direction; The water discharge member is such that the partition walls are plate-shaped and the side surfaces facing the pipe width direction form partition surfaces that extend parallel to each other in the pipe axial direction.

2. The water discharge member according to claim 1, A water discharge member having no obstacles between the partition walls and the supply port within the pipe of the pipeline, dispersing the supplied hot and cold water in the pipe width direction by collision.

3. The water discharge member according to claim 1 or 2, A water discharge member in which the partition walls are formed at a position upstream of the pipe and closer to the supply port than the water discharge port.

4. The water discharge member according to claim 1 or 2, A water discharge member in which the plurality of partition walls divide the inside of the pipeline over the entire area in the pipe height direction.

5. The water discharge member according to claim 1 or 2, A water-discharge member in which the distance in the pipe width direction between the outermost partition wall among the plurality of partition walls that faces the side wall of the pipeline and the side wall is wider than any other distance between the plurality of partition walls.

6. The water discharge member according to claim 1 or 2, A water discharge member in which the partition walls are arranged at equal intervals from each other.

7. The water discharge member according to claim 1 or 2, A water-discharge member in which the partition walls are all of the same shape.

8. The water discharge member according to claim 1 or 2, A water discharge member in which the partition walls are integrally formed with the pipeline.

Images